CS/CS/HB 1235 - Housing Assistance Summary

• Revises State Apartment Incentive Loan Program fund reservations for tenant groups including commercial fishing workers, farmworkers, families, homeless persons, persons with special needs, and elderly persons during the first 6 months of loan availability.

• Requires State Office on Homelessness to coordinate agencies and providers for statewide consolidated homeless services inventory and establish a task force to develop a statewide Homeless Management Information System with recommendations due by December 31, 2016.

• Modifies homeless assistance grant program requirements including preference for lead agencies that leverage federal, local, and private funding and establishes performance-based funding distribution.

• Adds Rapid ReHousing as a continuum of care component to quickly move homeless individuals and families into permanent housing using temporary financial assistance and case management.

• Prohibits counties and municipalities from expending local housing distribution funds for ongoing rent subsidies, with limited exceptions for security/utility deposits, eviction prevention, and rental assistance for very-low-income families with special needs or homeless individuals (maximum 12 months).

• Effective date: July 1, 2016.